Apparatus for filling annealing-pots.



a 9 P 2 e n u d e t n e t a P R E F A H s H C 4 4 7 2 6 m N APPARATUS FOR FILLING'ANNEALING POTS.

(Application filed may 27, 1898:)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

am 9 8 .2 B n I. d m S M T L 0 a P P. G N .L.\./ s .Ew BN EH7 F N Mi N H sum n H m M c m r U T A R A P P A 4 4 7 2 6 0 N 3 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

aim QM Patented 1m 27, I899.

7 c. H. SHAFFEB.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING ANNEALING POTS.

yg r. Tgza a? 4 Z 4 I Q2 v \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\K\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ fi- 7 7 E 8 8 i 20 1 22 I 5 I: I| M f z s a s /aw w; 0;.

UNITE STATES CHARLES PATENT OFFICE.

H. SHAFFER, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. SHAFFER, OF CLARKS HILL, INDIANA.

APPARATUSFOR FILLING ANNEALlNG-POTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,944, dated June 27, 1899.

Application filed May 27, 1898. Serial No. 681,960. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Annealing-Pots, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct an apparatus for automatically raising annealing-pots and permitting them-to drop during the process of filling them, which consists of a base,a platform, and toggle-lever mechanism located in the base, the height of the lift made adjustable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometrical representation of my improved apparatus for carrying out the method herein described. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my apparatus with the platform removed. Fig. 3 is a lengthwise vertical section through the ap-' paratus, showing the platform elevated. Fig. 4 is an isometrical representation of the under face of the platform, showing a section of Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the apparatus, the parts being in the position they occupy at the com mencement of the lifting of the platform. Fig. 6 is a similar section, in which the platform has been lifted. Fig. 7 is a like section, in which the platform has descended. Fig. 8 is an isometrical representation of the yoke.

In the process of producing malleable castings the castings are placed in pots and the spaces between the castings are filled with suitable filling of metal scraps of various kinds. The filling is settled in the pots by a series of blows upon the outside of the pots given by an attendant, and when the required number of pots have been filled, one on top of another, the stack of pots are placed in a heated oven for a given length of time and afterward allowed to cool, when the pots are turned over and their contents discharged. The filling material is used over again. The malleable castings are found to be warped, some more and others less,-owing to the manher in which the filling of the pots was done.

It is impossible to thoroughly settle the fillin g in the pots by a series of blows on the outside of the pots, and consequently there are lleft uumerous cavities in which the filling material does not enter, and owing to the looseness of the filling material in the pots upon the pots and contents being heated the filling material will settle more densely,carrying the castings with it, and as the settlingis most at the edges of the pots the castings will bend and upon cooling will retain their bent condition, which necessitates the making of dies in order that the castings may be straightened, which forms a great proportion of the cost of the malleable castings, and, again, there are some castings which cannot bemade malleable for the reason that they cannot be straightened. My improvements are calculated to overcome all these difficulties by producing malleable castings which are as perfect asthe cast castings and at a less expense.

My improved apparatus consists of a base orreceptacle containing the operative parts. This base is composed of the bottom 1, sides 2, and ends 3, of heavy cast material. Within the base are located two end'bars 4 and 5, each provided with openings,.and' tworods 6 are located in the openings,forming a connection between the bars. Above these bars are located two heads 7 -and-8, connected by rods 9 and 10. Each head has a link 11, connecting with the end of the rod 10' by having a piv- 8o otal connection with the rod 10 at one end and their other end connected to the'ends of the base upon the studs 12. These heads have a connection with the bars 4 and 5 through a system of toggle-levers, each composed of the sections 13 and 14, pivotally connected together by the rods 15 and 16, and the sections 13, pivotally connected to the heads upon the rods 9 and 10, and the sections 14, pivotally connected to the bars 4 and 5 upon 0 the rods 6. Upon the projecting ends of the rods 15 and 16 are mounted links 17, serving to connect the two systems of toggle-levers in a pivotal manner. 4

In the heads are screw-threaded bolts 18, 5 extending above the upper surface of the heads.

A platform 19 has a depending flange 20 embracing the upper open end of the base, and from the under face of the platform depend corner-irons 21. This platform is placed over the open end of the base. The heads of the bolts 18 are located in the corner-irons 21, which serve to prevent the displacement of the platform. The depending flange 20 prevents dirt and grit from gaining access to the If the parts are in the position shown at Fig. 5 and the crank be rotated, the yoke will be drawn endwise, which will pull upon the rod 16 and, through the rod and links 17, upon the two sets of toggle-levers. This action will move the toggle-levers into a vertical position, as shown at Fig. 6, the links 11 holding the heads centrally of the base, so that they may rise without frictional contact therewith. The heads of the bolts will come in contact with the under face of the platform and raise it until it reaches the position shown at Fig. 6, which is some distance above the top of the base, and in this figure the togglelevers are on their dead-centers. 'A slight movement of the yoke will cause the togglelevers to pass the dead-center,when they drop by gravity, also allowing the platform to drop and rest upon the open end of the base. The loops of the yoke will allow the rod 16 to move to the end of the loops. This operation is repeated twice to each revolution of the crank-shaft 25 and will raise the platform gradually, but allow it to drop of its own Weight. The height of the lift, and consequently the drop of the platform, is regulated by the bolts 18, so that any desired drop may be had. 1 y

This apparatus is designed to be placed on a level with the ground or floor when the platform is in its lowest position. Upon the platform is placed the support 27 for a series of annealing-pots 28. One pot is placed on the support and the apparatus for raising the platform set in operation. Above the platform is located a hopper 29, its lower open end, controlled by a valve 30. This hopper contains the fillingmaterial. Asmall stream of filling material is allowed to run into the pot until a layer is formed on the support. Upon this filling is placed a casting, the filling material entering the recesses and cavities between the castings. More castings are placed in the pots, and so on until the series of pots are filled. The jolting of the pots by the apparatus is constantly going on during the filling process, and when its pots are filled it will be found that the jolting motion has settled the filling material to such a degree that the castings will be held rigid in the packing material, and after the annealing process has been completed the castings will come out in the same condition they were in when placed in the pots; with the exception that they are properly annealed.

As the filling material is of the same specific gravity as the casting, the jolting movement imparted to the pots will not force the fine particles to the top and the heavier particles to the bottom, but will condense the filling material to a degree sufficient to hold the casting from warping during the annealing process. The pots are more readily filled and more material can be packed in a pot, and the necessity of straightening the castings after being annealed is obviated, which allows the making of large and perfect malleable castings.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a base, a platform, a toggle-lever mechanism located in the base and operating upon the platform to raise it and permit it to fall by gravity onto the base, and means for varying the height of the lift of the platform.

2. The combination of a base, a platform, having depending edges embracing the open upper end of the base, a toggle-lever mechanism located on the base and operating upon the platform to raise it and permit it to fall by gravity onto the base, and means for operating the toggle-lever mechanism.

CHARLES H. SHAFFER.

Vitnesses:

E. P. WATSON, PETER W. LOSBY. 

